Scout
Any force on the move, whether it’s an army or an adventuring group, needs information about what’s ahead and what’s behind and, more important, time to prepare for battle. A scout can navigate difficult terrain at good speed, and she specialises in seeing her foe before the opponent ever detects her presence. In a dungeon or in the wild, a scout is seen only when she wants to be. Adventures Scouts adventure for numerous reasons. Many have a role in a military organisation. Whether serving as outriders for a large army or as foresters for a small border fort, these scouts venture into the wilderness under orders. Although more common than other scouts, those attached to the military are unlikely to have the time or permission necessary to undertake regular adventures. Instead, adventuring scouts come from rural areas, having hones their skills over a lifetime of wandering the wilderness. Others have left their military service behind and find themselves attracted to the adventuring lifestyle. Many adventuring scouts begin their careers as guides hired to lead other adventurers through the wilderness. Those who find the excitement and challenge of adventuring to their taste then seek out a group of their own. Characteristics A scout has some training in weapons and a unique combat style that favours fast movement and devastating attacks. She excels in performing during running battles, which allow her to maximise her special fighting techniques and high movement rate. Although a scout can hold her own in a fight, she’s at her best before combat begins, when she can use her powers of stealth and observation to find an enemy and give her companions accurate information about what they face. The scout is a backcountry expert, exceeding even the ranger’s ability to navigate rough terrain and lead a group of companions through the wilderness. The scout also excels in a dungeon environment, and she can find and disable traps as well as any rogue. As a scout advances in level, her senses become amazingly acute, and she can eventually operate normally even in total darkness. Alignment Scouts can be of any alignment, and a scout’s alignment is often shaped more by personal background than from any training. The notable exceptions to this are the many scouts who receive their training in a military organisation – such scouts are carefully and rigorously taught, and are almost always lawful in alignment. Outside of military organisations, more scouts are neutral than any other alignment, but every alignment and philosophy is represented within the class. Religion Scouts have varied and individual takes on religion, and no single religion stands out as typical of the class. Scouts occasionally pay homage to deities of nature, but these devotions are more a personal choice on the part of an individual than any outgrowth of their training. Scouts don’t see nature as a force in its own right, and this belief is one of the most profound differences between the scout and the ranger classes. Where the ranger sees nature as something to be revered and protected, the scout sees it as the terrain over which she must do her job. Although a scout might love nature for its beauty or for the solitude she can find within it, she’ll never draw power from nature the way a ranger does. Background Many scouts receive military training and serve for a time as outriders for an army. They perfect their techniques while trying to spot and hide from large groups of foes. The crucible of military service turns out tough, independent scouts accustomed to working on their own or in small groups. Such steady individuals make great additions to adventuring parties, and their expertise is often sought by members of other classes. Other scouts come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some train with foresters and rangers serving a rural lord, and others simply grow up among the common folk of the countryside, spending month after month exploring the wild in their leisure time. Scouts from such diverse backgrounds often take up adventuring to leave their home communities behind. Having exhausted the potential for exploration in their home region, they seek a wider variety of experience and wish to see a broader portion of the world. Role A scout plays several roles in most adventuring groups. First and foremost, a scout excels at detecting enemies and creatures before being detected herself. Whether moving well ahead of the group or guarding the rear, a scout is the character most likely to discover a potential threat and be ready to act in combat. Serving as a backup mêlée combatant or ranged expert in battle, she provides support for the more straightforward fighters in the group and confuses and distracts the enemy. A scout’s stealth and trap-finding ability make her the natural choice for entering and searching dangerous areas. Category:Class Category:Base Class Category:Scout Category:Full BAB